System for burning liquid fuel



Aug. 16, W32. J w NN I 3,871,660

SYSTEM FOR BURNING LIQUID FUEL Filed Jan. 9. 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l n gfwventmc Aug. 16, 1932. w, N O 1,871,660

SYSTEM FOR BURNING LIQUID FUEL Filed Jan. 9, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Aug 16, 1%32 wire tau,

JOHN W. CANNGN, F PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND SYSTEM FOR BURNING LIQUID FUEL Application filed January 9, 1928. Serial no. 245,357..

This invention relates to a system or apparatus for burning liquid fuel such as oil, and more particularly to a system of the character shown in my Patent No. 1,572,591, is-

sued February 9, 1926, in which system oil is supplied from a storage tank to an atomizer, where it is subjected to the action of superheated steam generated by heat from a burner to which a mixture of the superheated steam and atomized oil is delivered. The system referred to includes a pump which withdraws oil from the storage tank delivers the same to a by-pass tank, whence part of the oil is conducted to the atomizer, the surplus oil being returned from said bypass tank to the storage tank; it also includes a connection leading from the inlet side of the by-pass tank to a regulator so as to control the flow of water to the superheater in accordance with the pressure of the oil in the system and particularly in accordance with the pressure of the oil delivered from the pump but not subjected to the action of the by-pass tank.

It is the general purpose and object of this 5 invention provide for systems of the character referred to by a bypass tank constructed as to enable the system to operate with maximum eiticiency. Further and more limit-ed objects of the invention are to pro- 39 vide a tank of this character the passages of which will not be liable to clog by accumulation of sediment therein; also to provide a construction of tank which will insure a re.- liable and proper supply of oil to the atomizer; also to" provide a construction of tank which will insure a supply of such oil which is free from water and/or sediment.

Other objects of the invention will ap- AO pear hereinafter in connection wit'h the detailed description of the drawings, wherein Fig. 1 represents a view, partly in section and partly in side elevation, of a system or apparatus embodying my invention; Fig. 2 a 5 detail in vertical section through the by-pass tank. the section being taken on the line 'Z:2 of Fig. 3' and Fi .3 a detail in vertical section through the said tank. the view being taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

The by-pass tank shown herein embodies some of the features shown and described but ,shaft 8*. From the pump 7 the pipe 8 denot claimed in my application No. 85,400, filed February 1, 1926 and also of the tank shown and described in my aforesaid patent. The present application is a continuation in part of the said application No. 85,400 and em- 5 bodies subject matter disclosed but not claimed in said patent.

Describing briefly the system or apparatus shown in Fig. 1, 1 represents an oil'tank connected by pipes 2 and 3 with a small siphon so check tank 4: provided with a filling plug P, the pipe 2 extending to the bottom of the tank 1 and the pipe 3 extending from the top of the same. The pipe 2 is provided with a downwardly seating check valve 2 there is an elbow 5 provided with a small vent 5 to prevent siphoning the liquid from the tank 1, and from this elbow a pipefi extends to a pump 7 driven by a motor 8 through a livers oil through a pipe 9 to a by-pass tank 10; and from the tank 10, a pipe 11 leads to an atomizer (not shown) preferably located within the burner A. From the tank 10 another pipe 12 leads to the top of the tank 4; I for the purpose of returning excess fuel from the by-pass tank 10 to the tank 4.

A pipe 13 leads from a passage 13 in the tank 10 to the upper end of an upper chamber of a diaphragm valve. A pipe 15 which is supplied with water from any convenient source, as through an ordinary valved con nection with the city main (not shown), communicates with the bottom chamber B of the diaphragm valve. From the delivery side of the chamber B a pipe 15 conducts the water passing therethrough to a steam generator and superheater 16 positioned within the fire box of a furnace of heater G. The pipe 15 is shown as provided'with a globe valve 15 whereby the water supplied to the superheater 16 may be controlled by the diaphragm valve and also regulated through the manipulation of the said globe valve. From the super-heater 16 a pipe 1'? conducts superheated steam to the atomizer (not shown) within the burner A. This atomizer may be of any desired construction, but is preferably of the type shown in my patent and application aforesaid. ice

In the tank 4, as 7 described and as shown in my patent and application aforesaid the superheater 16 will be primarily heated in any convenient manner to generate steam for the initial atomization of the oil supplied to the atomizer by the pipe 11. Water is supplied to the super- ,heater through the pipe 15, valve chamber B,

plpe 15 and thence to the atomizer by the pipe 17. The valve in the chamber B will be opened by the pressure of oil in the pipe 13 so as to permit the flow of the water to the superheater; in the event that the pressure should fall, the valve will close more or less, thereby to reduce or cut 01f the supply of water to the superheater. The oil in excess of that required for the burner Will be delivered from the by-pass tank into the tank 4.

The general operation of the system as thus far described is, as stated before, substantially the same as the case with the system shown and described in my patent aforesaid. To insure eiiicient operation of the burner under all ordinary incidents of use, the pump should be capable of supplying a sufficient quantity of oil to enable the burner to operate at maximum capacity. In order to accommodate the system for variations-in burner oil-supply without the necessity for changing the speed at which the pump is driven, I provide the by-pass tank referred to, which bypass tank serves as a means for supplying oil in any desired quantity to the burner and also enables oil which is pumped from the tanks 1 and'4, in excess of that required for the and thence into the tank 1.

burner, to be delivered back into the tank 4 r The by-pass tank, indicated generally at 1 0, is provided with an inlet connection 20 with which the pipe 9 communicates, the wall of the tank which is provided with such con- "nection having the vertical passage 13 extending'upwardly and downwardly from and communicating with said connection. The upper end of the passage 13 as ,has been pointed out hereinbefore, communicates with I the pipe 13 leading to the regulator. The bottom of the passage 13 communicates through a restricted port 21 with a horizontal delivery passage '21 at the bottom of the tank, the' outer end of this passageway being closed by a plug 22. The passage 21 communicates with the bottom of the lower portion 23 of a chamher in the bottom of the tank, the said lower portion being located below a partition 24 which extends across the tank from the passage 13, the said partition being provided with a slotted opening 24 therethrough for the passage of the lever which controlsthe yoke is shown as secured to the top of the tank by means of a sleeve 29 entering a recess 30 in such top and secured in said recess by a screw 31. The downwardly extending arm 27 of the lever passes through the slot 24* provided in the partition 24 and has a substantially horizontal extension 2'? presented toward the passage 21. A stud 32 is threaded in said extension, the stud being ar ranged preferably axially with respect to the passage 21.

For convenience of description, the side of the tank which receives oil from the pump 9 will be referred to as the front of said tank and the opposite side as the rear. The bottom of the chamber 23, 23 communicates through a port 33 with a vertical passage 34 formed in the rear wall of the tank, the upper end of this passage communicating through a restricted port 35 with a passage 36 thereabove provided in the cover 10 of said tank. The pipe 12 is threaded into the said cover, registering with the passage 36. 37 denotes a small air vent passage formed in the cover 10 and establishing communication between the pas-- sage 36 and the upper rear corner of the chamber 23 The cover 10 is provided with a horizontal passage 38 which serves to deliver oil from the chamber 23 to the pipe 11. At its receiv ing end, the passage 38 communicates with the chamber 23 through a vertical passage 39 and the passages 40 and 40 in a valve nipple 41 threaded into the passage 39. The lower end of this nipple is frusto-conical, as shown at 41*, providing a seat for a valve block 42 which is mounted in the top of the front end of the lever arm 25. v

Closing the passage 38 is a pair of valves by wh ch the supply of oil to the pipe 11 is controlled. The :valve which is nearer the passage 39 is set for the maximum desired fire while the other valve is employed as a throttle and/or shut-off valve. The valves are shown as identical in construction and comprise each a rising stem 43 having a round and are beveled at their upper ends, as shown at 45 providing downwardly tapering seats dill surrounding their respective valve stems. In the upper portion of each bore is a sleeve 46, each of said sleeves having an upwardly beveled lower end 46 surrounding each valve stem. Between the bottoms of the sleeves 46 and the tops of the sleeves 44 packing is placed, as indicated at 47. Each sleeve 46 is provided with a hole 46 for a pin 48 which extends through said opening and has its inner end seated in a vertical slot 43 in the valve stem within such sleeve. The upper ends of the sleeves 46 project above the tank cover 10 and are pressed downwardly by means of a cap 49 bolted on top of the cover, as shown at 49. This cap is provided with openings for the passage therethrough of the threaded upper ends of the valve stems, an adjusting cap 43 being threaded on top of each valve stem. It will be evident that, by rotating the caps 43, the valve stems may be raised and lowered, the rotation of the stems being prevented by the pins 48 and the slots 43".

In practice, the valve which is nearest the passage 39 is set for the maximum desired fire and is then looked in position by means of an Allen safety set screw which is threaded through the cap 49 and is provided with a stud 50 at its inner end adapted to enter the proper notch 49 in a circumferential series of such notches in the cap 49. The other valve is employed for throttling and /or cutting-oft purposes, and is provided with the same type of cap and set screw as the former valve.

The provision of the rounded ports 43 and the rounded passages 44 in the sleeve surrounding the valve stenr insures a rounded port or passage being provided at all times between the 'ports44 and 43 The rounded continuous cross-sectional area of the passages or ports thus provided has proved very etiicient in preventing the clogging of the passages or ports through the valve stems and sleeves by sediment, these passages being continuously'washed by the flowing oil. Furthermore, the ports 43 and 44 are located at one side of the center of the passage 38. This arrangement reduces to a minimum the amount of sediment tending to flow through the ports 43, 44, it being the tendency of sediment in a liquid flowing through a pipe to seek the center of the stream.

The passage 21 has mounted therein a plurality of balls 51, three such balls being shown and being interposed between the bottom of the restricted port 2-1 and the delivery end of the passage. ably of bronze or brass and are of slightly less diameter than the diameter of the passage 21. In practice, I have found it advisable to make the balls about inch less diameter than the diameter of said passage. These balls serve to transmit the pressure of the oil entering the passage 21 to the lever 25, 27, through the stud or plunger 32, the balls moving and These balls are preterseparating, under the action of the entering liquid, to such an extent as to cause the rearmost ball to engage the said stud or plunger and thereby rock the lever about its fulcrum 26, permitting the oil to enter the lower chamber 23. The balls possess the advantage of operating efficiently notwithstanding the presence of sediment in the entering oil.

which such sediment may lie will ride over 0 the same, being assisted in such movement by the movement of the other ball or balls, which are not so impeded.

With the parts constructed and arranged as described, itis believed that the operation will be readily understood. Oil pumped from the tank 1 in the manner heretofore described is delivered through the pipe 9 into the vertical passage 13 Such oil as is required for the operation of the burner or burners is delivered, together with any sediment or water that may be contained therein, into the passage 21, where it moves the balls 51 to the right, thereby rocking the lever on its fulcrum 26 and uncovering the passage 40 and permitting oil in the top of the upper chamber 23 to enter the passage 38 and pass thence, under the control of the valves 43, to the pipe 11 and thence to the atomizer and burner or burners. Any water and/or sediment entering the chamber 23 tends to remain at the bottom and will largely pass therefrom into the passage 34through the port 33, the

clean oil passing into the upper chamber portion 23 whence it is supplied to the burners in the manner described.

Any air that may enter along with the oil will rise to the top of the upper part 23* of the 'cha-mber'and will pass out through the vent 37. into the pipe 12 which leads to the siphon check tank 4. The balls 51 and the lower end of the lever 25,27 (which is so tulcrumed as normally to tend to close the delivery end of the passage 21) slow the velocity of the oil entering the bypass tank, prevent the surging of the oil in the passage 38, and also enable the sediment and water entering the chamber 23 to be delivered to the passage 34 and returned to the tank 1 without entering the passage 38 and reaching the burner.

The valve arrangement constituted by the upper part 25 of the lever and the valve block 42 and valve 41 insures the closing of the passage 38 as soon as the pump stops, thereby preventing the siphoning of oil to the burner; it also prevents the valves 41, 42 from sticking.

llt will be noted that the ports 43 and 44 are oif center with respect to the passage 38, being located above the center of such passage. The ofi'-center arrangement prevents the formation of air pockets in the passage which would produce fluctuations in the supply of oil to the burner and in the flame produced by the latter. By locating the ports above the center of the passage, they are less liable to become clogged by sediment than if they were located on or below such center.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a controller for fuel oil, a pump for supplying under pressure oil to be transmitted in controlled amounts, a tank connected to the delivery side of said pump, a horizontal passage in said tank connected with the tank inlet, a plurality of balls in said horizontal passage, the said balls being of slightly less diameter than said horizontal passage, a chamber receiving oil from said horizontal passage, a lever pivotally supported in said chamber so thatthe lower end of the lever tends by gravity to close said horizontal passage, an oil outlet from the said chamber, and valve means operative from 'the rockin of said lever to control the supply of oil from the upper portion of said chamber to the outlet.

2. The controller described in claim 1 in which there are means for removing water and surplus oil from the bottom of the chamber and air from the top of the chamber.

3. In a cleanser for fuel oil, a pump for supplying under pressure oil to be cleansed, a separating tank connecting to the delivery side of said pump, a passage in said tank receiving oil from a cleansing chamber therein, a valve in the said passage for controlling the maximum supply of oil to be delivered from said cleanser, a second valve in said passage for throttling or cutting oil the supply of oil passing through the first-mentioned valve, each of said valves being a. rising stem valve and adapted in various adjusted positions thereof to provide a rounded port for the delivery of oil therethrough, the said ports being located outside of the center of the said passage whereby an accumulation of sediment will be prevented, and means for delivering from the bottom of said chamber water and excess oil and from the top of said chamber air which has collected above the oil in said chamber; q

4. In a pumping system including a main liquid receptacle and a pump having its inlet connected to said receptacle, a by-pass tank having a chamber connected with the delivery side of said pump, a. by-pass leading from the said chamber to the said receptacle, the said tank also having a discharge passage therein, a lever pivoted in said tank, and a valve operated by said lever to control the flow ofoil through the said passage, one

' of the arms of said lever projecting into the said chamber in position to be operated by the oil delivered thereinto by said pump.

5. A by pass tank for liquid pumping systems having a vertical liquid inlet passage connected with a horizontal passage receiving liquid from the bottom of the first-men tioned passage through a restricted port, a plurality of balls in the second passage between the said port and the delivery end thereof, the said balls being of slightly less diameter than the diameter of said passage, a chamber receiving liquid from the delivery end of the second passage, a lever pivotally supported in said chamber so that the lower end of the lever tends by gravity to swing toward the delivery end of the second passage, the said tank having above the said chamber an outlet passage, valve means operative by the rocking of said lever to control the supply of liquid from the upper portion of said chamber to the last-mentioned passage, and a by-pass passage for conducting surplus liquid and sediment from the bottom of said chamber.

6. A by-pass tank for liquid pumping systems having a chamber connected with a liquid inlet passage, a plurality of balls in the said passage, the said balls being of slightly less diameter than the diameter of said passage, a lever pivotally supported in said chamber so that the lower end of the lever tends by gravity to swing toward the delivery end of the said passage, the said tank having above the said chamber an outlet passage, valve means operative by the rocking of said-lever to control the supply of liquid from theupper portion of said chamber to the last-mentioned passage, and a by-pass passage for conducting surplus liquid and sediment from the bottom of said chamber.

7 A bv-pass tank for liquid pumping sys tems having a liquid inlet passage connected with and delivering liquid into chamber inv liquid from the said chamber, automatic meansfor controlling the supply of liquid to the last-mentioned passage, the said automatic means comprising an arm having a plunger adjustably mounted therein and adapted to be engaged and moved bv the ball nearest the delivery end of the first-mentioned passage, and a by-pass passage for de livering excess liquid and sediment from the bottom of said chamber.

8. A by pass tank for liquid pumping systems having a chamber divided into upper and lower portions byaslotted partition, the said tank also having a vertical liquid inlet passageway, the lower end of said passageway commun cating through a restricted port with a substantially horizontal passageway communicating with the bottom of the lower portion of the chamber, there being an 1 1 earned outlet passage in the upper portion of the said tank, an angle lever pivoted in the said chamber and having a valve arranged to shut oft communication between the said chamber and the lastanentioned passage, the lower leg of said lever extending through the slot in the said partition and having a portion facing the delivery end of the horizontal passage, and a plurality of balls in said horizontal passage and of slightly less diameter than the diameter of said passage and serving to control the flow of liquid through said passage and to engage the lower end of the lever thereby to rock the same upon its fulcrum andopen the aforesaid valve, there being a bypass passage in said tank communicating with the lower portion of the chamber adjacent the bottom thereof for removing surplus oil and sediment from said cham-' ber.

9. A by-pass tank having a vertical liquid inlet passage, the said passage also communicating through a restricted port with a horizontally extending passage adapted to deliver liquid adjacent to the bottom of the lower portion of a chamber in said tank, the said the bottom of the lower portion of a chamber tank having a by-pass passage communicating with the lower portion of the said chamber adjacent to the bottom thereof and said tank also having above the said chamber an outlet passage for supplying oil to the burner, an angle lover pivoted in said chamber and having its lower end presented toward the delivery end of the horizontal passage, a plurality of balls mounted in the horizontal passage between the said port and the delivery end of said passage and of slightly less diameter than said passage, and a valve member carried by the upper portion of said lever and adapted to shut ofl the supply of liquid to the upper outlet passage when the lower end of the lever is in close proximity to the delivery end of the horizontal passage and to permit the flow of liquid to said upper outlet passage when rocked about its pivot by movement of the balls toward the lower end of said lever.-

10. A by-pass tank for liquid pumpingsysv tems having a vertical liquid inlet passage,

the said passage'communicating through a restricted port with a horizontally extending passage adapted to deliver liquid adjacent to in said tank, the said tank having a passage communicating with the lower ortion of the said chamber adjacent to the ottom thereof for by-passing excess liquid and sediment and said tank also having above the saidchamber an outlet passage for supplying clean liquid, an angle lever pivoted in said chamber and having its lower ,end presented toward the delivery end of the horizontal passage and provided with an adjustable stud or plunger, a plurality of balls mounted in the horizontal passage between the said port and a." Q2) and the delivery end of said passage and of I slightly less diameter than said passage, a valve member carried by the upper portion of said lever and adapted to shut off the supply of liquid to the upper outlet passage when ti l the lower end of the lever is in close proximsignature.

JOHN W. CANNON. 

